We have a special place in our hearts for crazy, single-purpose gadgets that straddle the line between humorous and ingenious. These one-use wonders should be on any high-tech chef's wish list.

Most Read

We're hard pressed to think of a more macho kitchen gadget than a gun that shoots beef jerky. Maybe one that makes beer at the same time. But then it would be multipurpose, and out of the scope of this article. The barrel of the Jerky Works Gun holds a whopping pound of meat, which means less refilling (reloading?) for you. It comes with five spice packets and three different nozzles, each of which "shoots" a different style: strips, double strips, or sticks. Once you've discharged all your beef, simply dry your jerky in the oven at a low temperature, or in a dehydrator.

Not quite as savvy as a sommelier when it comes to opening wine? Until now, the fanciest alternative to the basic corkscrew was the Metrokane Rabbit, which, with all its lumbering levers, is a bit confusing to maneuver and more than a tad inelegant. But with Waring Pro's new Professional Cordless Wine Opener you can say Ã"so long' to splintered corks and jammed synthetic stoppers, all while one-upping your friends and neighbors.

The battery-operated opener is easy to use: to extract the cork, simply place the lightweight, rubberized handset on top of a wine bottle and press the "down" button. To release the cork from the opener, press the "up" button. You'll be swirling your sauvignon blanc in no time. The opener can uncork 80 bottles on a full charge, making it an ideal choice for the office Christmas party, and overkill for pretty much everything else.

If you ask us, chicken wings--whether cooked at home or purchased by the bucketload--are supposed to be a greasy, saucy mess. But maybe for some misguided reason you disagree. In which case you might appreciate Harriet Carter's Chicken Rack, which is kind of like a coat hanger for everyone's favorite game-day grub. Capable of dangling up to a dozen wings over your grill or in your oven, the Chicken Rack cooks meat evenly while all the unhealthy (read: delicious) fat melts away. You won't be able to slather them with mop sauce and they probably won't turn out all that crispy, but then again you won't stain your shirt and your pants will still fit. Hey, life's a compromise.

Ever ordered a pizza and had it delivered unsliced? Neither have we, but stranger things have happened. Arm yourself with the Pizza Pro Pizza Shears, a combo cutter/spatula that allows you to slice and lift at once, without fear of spilled pepperoni or dreaded cheese dislocation. Made of dishwasher-safe stainless steel, the shears can be used interchangeably by right- and left-handers, and will fit right in with the rest of the junk crowding your kitchen drawers. Perfect for those ambitious, if often imprudent, Boboli moments; as well as all those times when you only want half a slice. Though, come to think of it, that's never happened to us, either.

Say "Brütül" three times fast: Brütül, Brütül, Brütülbrew tool. Get it? This "snappy" silver contraption bills itself as the world's most "versatile" beer-layering device. Perfect for those times when you just can't choose between a rich, creamy stout and a crisp, clean ale, the Brütül lets you enjoy both at once. Simply pour half a glass of the lighter beer, balance the Lagerhead Turtle on the rim, and top off your pint with the darker brew. Now you can enjoy blended beer beverages like the Black Velvet (Guinness and Champagne), the Snakebite (Guinness and hard cider), and the Bumble Bee (Murphy's and Dundee Honey Lager) without having to go to a fancy bar. Guaranteed to come in handy at least once every few decades.

Whoppers are so over. The biggest trend in hamburgers these days is little. Sliders are popping up at many of the nation's choicest restaurants--made with grass-fed beef and topped with artisanal cheese, of course.

The Big City Slider Station is kind of like a stove-top muffin pan, but for meat. Made from aluminum with a double-sided nonstick surface, it allows you to cook five perfectly proportioned mini burgers without the "hassles" of pressing or flipping them in a plain old skillet with a boring old spatula (yawn). You see, the Slider Station cooks the burgers on both sides at once: simply scoop your meat of choice into the divots; press on the handy, grill-marked lid; and sear on the stovetop. In just two minutes you'll be digging in to beefy, bite-size bliss. Making hamburgers has never been easier, not that it was ever that hard. For tastier instructions about how to cook a burger, check out our expert advice from Steven Raichlen.

Sometimes, particularly after knocking back a few, it can be difficult to pinpoint where you put your latest beer. Did you leave it next to the fridge, on top of the TV, or (admit it) on the back of the toilet? This handy pager ensures that you will never loose another can, whether you are tinkering in the kitchen or kicking back with the guys and watching the game.

The cozy-coaster combo comes with a pocket-size pager that clips to your belt. When you can't find your cold one, simply press the red button--emergency!--and the coaster lights up and emits an oh-so-hilarious belching sound. It works from up to 60 ft. away, even through walls. Just make sure not to misplace the remote--your beer won't be able to locate it.

Speaking of beverages, nothing adds insult to injury quite like being stuck in morning rush-hour traffic and discovering that the coffee in your (green! reusable!) travel mug has gone ice cold. This mug heats its contents through USB power or via an included 12-volt car adaptor. Though we were initially skeptical about what seemed to be a throwaway gimmick, the gadget quickly became central to the before-sunrise commute of a high school teacher friend. Once connected to a car or computer, the mug instantly heats up to the desired temperature, ensuring that you never have to drink a lukewarm latte again. The stainless-steel mug's press-on lid features an "easy access" thumb slide for sipping that couldn't be simpler.

Go ahead, strip. Corn that is, without making a mess, using this clever if somewhat ridiculous device. How many times have you tried to de-corn your cob, only to send those little suckers scattering across the counter and onto the floor? What's that, never? Well, it could happen, in which case OXO's Corn Stripper would come in handy. It looks like a cross between a computer mouse and a Matchbox car and works by collecting the kernels in a 1/2-cup container (approximately one ear, according to experts) as it wheels up and down the cob. There is a hole in the top for pouring out the corn, and the entire contraption comes apart for easy cleaning. The Stripper has a stainless-steel blade and pressure-absorbing, ergonomic grips to prevent you from getting corn-related carpal tunnel.

Wish shaking your WiiMote during all those hours of Cooking Mama had tangible, edible results? We do. The best way to turn jumping and shaking into food is with a Play & Freeze Ice Cream Maker. Unlike most ice cream machines, the Play & Freeze needs no electricity (and doesn't need to sit in the freezer for 12 hours in advance) so it's perfect for those afternoons in the park when there's no Mister Softee in sight. Just fill the two compartments in the ball with ice cream base and rock salt and shake (or play catch) for twenty minutes. Available in both pint (2 pounds; makes 1 pint) and mega (3 pounds; makes 1 quart) sizes, not to mention a rainbow's worth of colors, the Ice Cream Ball is soft serve meets the gym's medicine ball. Twenty minutes may seem like a long time to shake and rattle, but look at it this way: you'll burn off at least 10 calories.